Says Govt fails to abide by HC ruling
Noted social activist and BJD leader Niranjan Dash lamented apathy by the State Government in taking a decision on the issue of including Hamirpur, Nabakrishna Nagar, Tumkela, Tilkanagar and Construction Colony in the proposed Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC).
Briefing to mediapersons here, he said a PIl had been filed in the Odisha High Court in this connection by him and two others.
The petitioners have argued that at the time of an agreement between the State Government and the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) in 1995, these areas were declared part of the Industrial City and were detached from the then NAC (ST). The RSP management had agreed to take care of the basic amenities of the area. But through RTI it was found that the RSP management has not spent a single pie during last 20 years for the growth of the areas, the petitioners cited, demanding that State Government should now include these areas in the RMC without fail.
When the Urban Department could not include these areas while seeking objections and suggestions from the inhabitants from the locations to be merged with the proposed RMC area on November 15, 2013, the petitioners had submitted their objections and suggestions before the Collector, Sundargarh, but no action had been taken on the same, said Dash. Thereafter on December 31, 2013, the petitioners submitted a representation before the Additional Chief Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, reiterating the same prayer.
Dash lamented that the Government had not taken a decision on the issue as yet.
The court passed an order on September 8 last requiring the Government to take a decision on the representation within a period of two weeks from the date of production of the certified copy. Accordingly the court order copy was submitted to the Urban Development department.
However, if still the Government does not take a positive step in their favour, a revision petition will be filed in the court, said Dash in a Press briefing here on Saturday.
BJD Rourkela District president Anand Mohanty and Raghunathpali city unit president Sudhir Sundar Ray said the demand was genuine and they would also try to convince the Government for a positive result. They further said the matter was in the knowledge of Raghunathpali MlA Subrat Tarai and he had given assurance for all sorts of help to de-list the areas.